Drone + AI Pavement Inspections: Faster, Safer, and More Accurate
- IFR Blog
- Sep 29
- 2 min read
Maintaining safe, reliable pavement is essential for airports, highways, and critical infrastructure. Traditional inspections are slow, costly, and cover only small samples of the surface.
In Flight Robotics now offers a smarter solution: combining drone imaging with AI-powered analytics to deliver full-coverage pavement condition reports in just 72 hours.
The Problem with Traditional Pavement Inspections
Manual walk-down surveys often mean:
Coverage of only 10–25% of pavement
Multiple staff, escort vehicles, and lighting required
Runway or road closures lasting hours or days
Reports that take weeks or months to finalize
This approach leaves decision-makers with incomplete data, higher costs, and added safety risks.
The Drone + AI Solution
A single drone flight, typically under an hour, replaces days of work. Here’s how:
100% coverage at millimetre resolution
AI-driven detection of cracks, potholes, and surface distress
Pavement Condition Index (PCI) reports delivered within 72 hours
Engineer verification ensures accuracy and compliance
No staff on active runways. No blind spots. No delays.
Applications Beyond Airports
While designed for airports, this solution benefits any paved infrastructure, including:
✈️ Runways, taxiways, and aprons
🛣️ Highways and municipal roads
🚶 Sidewalks, bridges, and tunnels
⚡ Hydroelectric dams and industrial surfaces
Early detection enables low-cost repairs and can extend pavement life by up to 20%. For airports and municipalities, engineer-stamped evidence also strengthens funding and grant applications.
Benefits at a Glance
✔ 80% faster – 45-minute drone flight vs 4-hour walk-downs
✔ Full coverage – 100% of the surface inspected
✔ Audit-ready – PCI reports, GIS-compatible outputs
✔ Higher safety – Zero staff on active runways or roads
✔ Lower costs – Reduced labour, overtime, and downtime
Why Work With In Flight Robotics?
Based in British Columbia, In Flight Robotics delivers precise, dependable aerial intelligence across BC and Western Alberta. Our mission: to help infrastructure managers, engineers, and municipalities make faster, safer, data-driven decisions.
Ready to Modernize Your Pavement Management?
Don’t settle for partial data and weeks of delays. With drone + AI inspections, you’ll get faster insights, safer operations, and smarter long-term planning.
📍 Serving BC & Western Alberta
Full Coverage. Zero Downtime.
Runways, roads, bridges—whatever the surface, our drone + AI inspections detect cracks and defects with millimetre accuracy and deliver reports in 72 hours.
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